The Class 144 Pacer was a follow-on from the Class 143. It has a Walter Alexander built body almost identical to the 143 but with a chassis built by BREL Derby.
Northern 144 008 at Sheffield
Information
Number built:
56 (23 2 and 3-car sets)
Built:
1986-86
Builder:
BREL Derby & Walter Alexander
Engine:
Cummins LTA10-R diesel per car
Power:
450/675 hp (330/495 kW)
Formation:
(2-car) Driving Motor Standard (DMS)+
Driving Motor Standard Lavatory (DMSL)
(3-car) DMS+Motor Standard (MS)+DMSL
The Class 144 was ordered for services in West Yorkshire [1]. To cope with an increase in passengers West Yorkshire PTE later ordered 10 extra Motor Standard trailers to augment ten trains to 3-cars. These were the only vehicles in the large Pacer fleet to have no driving cabs. The Class 144 was originally built with Leyland TL11 engines but these were later replaced by Cummins diesels. The original transmission has also been replaced with a Voith diesel-hydraulic system [2].
As with the rest of the Pacer fleet the Class 144s were withdrawn during 2020. One Class 144 was experimentally modified as the Class 144e (for Evolution) to meet future accessibility standards and had an accessible toilet and a new interior/seating [3], however no others were modified to 144e standard and replacement stock was instead ordered.
Thirteen Class 144s have been preserved with a number of others sold on for non-railway use including a couple which will become school classrooms!
Three car 144 020 at York
Northern 144 013 at Sheffield
Pacer front end comparison: Northern 142 023 and 144 020 at York
Northern 144 017 at Sheffield
[1] Brian Haresnape, Diesel Multiple Units: The Second Generation and DEMUs (Ian Allan, 1986) p. 78 [2] Colin J. Marsden, DMU and EMU Recognition Guide (Ian Allan, 2013) p. 127 [3] Colin J. Marsden, Rail Guide 2016 (Ian Allan, 2016) p. 91
The Class 143 is one of the Pacer family of diesel multiple units. It was built at the same time as the Class 142 and is also a railbus design marrying a bus or coach type body (built by coach builder Walter Alexander) to a chassis derived from a freight vehicle [1]. The Class 143 perhaps look a bit more like a train compared to the 142, the body of which retained more aspects of its Leyland National bus heritage. The follow-on Class 144 uses the same body as the Class 143 though with a different chassis [2].
Transport for Wales 143 623 at Cardiff Central
Information
Number built:
50 (25 2-car sets)
Built:
1985-86
Builder:
Walter Alexander / Andrew Barclay
Motor:
Cummins LTA10-R diesel per car
Power:
450hp (330kW)
Formation:
DMS (Driving Motor Standard)+DMSL (Driving Motor Standard Lavatory)
Originally the 143s worked for British Rail's Provincial Sector and the Tyne & Wear PTE. In the privatised era they are operated by GWR and Transport for Wales (formerly Arriva Trains Wales). Like the 142s their original transmission has been replaced with a Voith hydraulic one.
As with the other Pacer designs the 143s are now in their final few months though the planned withdrawal by 2020 may slip by a few months. Two trainsets have already been withdrawn due to fire damage.
Transport for Wales 143 624 at Cardiff Queen Street
Arriva Trains Wales 143 606 at Cardiff Queen Street
ATW 143 609 at Cardiff Queen Street
ATW 143 614 (and a Class 142) at Cardiff Central
ATW 142 075 and 143 606 at Cardiff Queen Street
[1] Colin J. Marsden, DMU and EMU Recognition Guide (Ian Allan, 2013) p. 125 [2] Brian Haresnape, Diesel Multiple Units: The Second Generation & DEMUs (Ian Allan, 1986) p. 70
